Windshield wiper



March 7, 1950 L.. zAlGER wINDsHIELD WIFI-:R

Filed Aug. 27, '1945 INVNTOR.

Lous if Z ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 7, 195() UNIT ED STA-'FES PATENT @FFI-CE WINDSHIELDWIPE-Ri Louis.Zaig;er, Lynn, Mass. Y i I v\ Application AugustfZ'i, 1945'; Serial/Norljfj y This invention` reiatesvtoowihdshield wipers: and hasfor oneoif its objects :toi provide :novel means; 'for detachabiy securing" tbe.x wiper-'fairer tor theactuatingfshaft'. i

Other obectsof the--inventioni areito improve; WindshieldV Wipers various-particul'arsafasrwilii beimerel-fully'bereinaterfset-'forth` In theA drawings:

Fig). 1 is asid'eaviewf partly-in"sectionvshowingf aY windshield' Wiper Aern'b@dying-1myY im/rentiorn Fig: 21 is an enlarged section. lon timeline,-y imm,l

Figi 31' is: a secti'onny thellinee-t, Fig-2;: show@ ing theY lookin-g"V member ini operative f positoni.

Fig. 4 islan enlarged perspective viewnofthef.-

locking member; f f f Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the: camu memeV ber.

Fig. 6 isfanA underside View ofutherinner end-Sofi the. Wiper arm.V u

Fig. 9-l is; afragmentary4M sectionalvi'ewshowing.: tne locking member: in unlockedg position; f Fig.. lllfi'is-` anv underside` viewrof-'t-hei. locking; member:

Fig. 1.1-i's1a fragmentary View?.iliustratingaa-idif@ ferent embodiment :ofi the invention.

I-n the` .-irawingsv i. indicatesthe. usuahactuate: ing shaft on-I whichA the windshield wipery armois'. mounted and Zind-icatesgenerallyfthe wiper armi.. the latter comprisingtne inner amnesectiomz. which; is@ detachab'ly" securedy tofL 'the actuating;- shaft l and the outer: arm; section-4': to the# outerv end offwnich isA secured ytbe usual wipeirfelment-5.

The arm sections 3 andl 41 are channel,shaped:` in cross section and the 4arm sectionA A isfformed` at. its inner end with: two` extending'scheek; .piecesy E: which. receive between.: them, thefouterivendf of the: inner section 3i; said yarm 'sectionscbe-jf ing. pivotally' connected. togetherifirniusual; man-l ner by a-pivotpinzlwhich extendsithrougmithea sidewallsS ofthe innerfarmsection and;through.y the. cheek' piecesl 6, of,1the.aonier. .arm sectiont.

` The actuatingsh'aftflisshowm asyprovided: adejacent-rits. outer end with a tapered shoulderifg. having a serrated surface andrwitnamexteri'oriyf;

screw threaded end portion,liucoizreciuced ameter.

Said' actuating shaft'l carries at"its1=outerend a bushing or nub member I-l whichaisnfherein, shown as cupshaped' and thebottom I-Zofwhich is mfovided.'y `with an aperture: thrmig-h which@the`- comme. (cuasi-5a) I' reduced end I-ffofithe actuatingslaaf-textends.4

be'rhl I.- v

f The exteriorsuriiaeea-.of itiiis-- heb member i is' usuallyy serrated-` lor"-.f'providiedi with: ne groottesv extending@ aranelito-trier shaft) axis.

Thewinner Lend; IIllini-f:the:r innen arm: section. 3;'is: shaped to.. presentianood :por-tieni which encircies, andl receives-thehub-@member :I lf, said'.v hood.l Aportion beingloff-a-,sizea-to fit-freelyrover fthehubriili.

-1- lAszsta/ted aboveione `ofY ytheobjectsot the pres4 ent inventioniuis ftoprovidezinovei'.1means for. de@

tachably/ locking forfciamping; thet inner armx secw tion-Sito tne=hub:member tl Tnezlocking means.

which I` haverherein iil'ustratedf.;comprise atv locke.

ing member I5 which is received Withinthein.- ner arm section 31am-d has aicurvedllace iiwhich engages the,` exterior: `tace. of ,the hubirnember lili, said .curvedI -face` preferablyfbeing providedwitn. serrations which are complemental to the sers?y rationsf with Whicirrtiirei-'hubi member is. provided.

Situatedibetween. .the- .lockingfxmember |51 and theupivotpin: 1.1is.1a.cam m'emberswhich is. pref.-

erably constructeds so that itca'n be1actuated from the exterior of the inner armrsectioni. saidcam. member 'being' so constructedgthat; byil its; turning movementiitJ-forcesfthedocking member It bodily toward andfintwclamping or interlocking engage;- rnent-Witn the hub member.;- H5, ,thereby firmly locking-l or securing the.l` wiper `arm-sto'. tineV actuating shaft.

Furtnermormthe constructionof the locking#` member: l 5 andthe.y cammemb'er isrsuch: that theacam member is retained-in. itsroperative' position, by the pivot pinf'b'afndtlfreilocking member in turn.

isretained in its-operativetposition byl the cam member:

Thecam member; whichA is.' indicated generally atl |113isprovided'at'tslupper*endiwith a-neck pore tion"2'l that isureceived in an' opening' in the bridge portion ot'theinnenarmx. section 32," and the body-of thelcam member 's-alsofformed-With acircuirrierent'liai'i groovel I Stihl-which.- theI-piivot' -pin 1-- is received.` The bottom'fof Ifthe groove t8! and the neck 2l are concentric and have acommen'- axisy aboutf'whichf lthe-camI member/is turned: Y'and surface 29 which is also eccentric to the axis of said cam member and which forms with the body of the cam member a shoulder 28 as best seen in Fig. 5.

'lhe locxing member I5 is formed at its upper end with a horizontal ange 23 having an aperture 24 of a size to receive the cam portion 29 of the cam member, said ange resting on the shoulder 28.

The upper end of the cam member which is exposed on the outside of the wiper arm is shown. as provided with a screw driver slot 22 by which the cam can be turned.

When the cam member is turned in one direction, the eccentric or cam portions thereof operate against the locking member to force the latter into locking engagement with the hub and during this camming action, the cam member bears against and is backed by the pivot pin 1.

When the cam member is turned in the other direction, the eccentric cam portion 28 operating in the opening in the flange 23 will serve to withdraw the locking member from its locking engagement.

It will be noted that the pivot pin 1 constitutes an abutment against which the cam member bears during its camming action and therefore in moving the locking member forward the cam has in effect a wedging action between the pivot pin 1 and the locking member.

Said pivot pin 1 not only acts as a bearing for the cam member during its camming action, but since it is located in the groove I8. it serves as a means for holding the cam in position. Furthermore the engagement of the flange 23 of the locking member with the shoulder 28 of the cam member serves to hold the locking member in position.

In this construction, therefore, the locking pin holds the cam member in position and in turn the cam member holds the locking member in position.

The cam member may conveniently be so made that a quarter turn thereof about its axis will be sufficient to clamp the locking member firmly into engagement with the hub member or to release it therefrom.

In windshield wiper arms of the type herein illustrated the outer arm section 4 is usually provided with some suitable spring means which operates to yieldingly press the wiper element against the glass. ,Some times this spring is in the form of a leaf spring which is anchored at its outer end to the outer wiper arm section and at its inner end bears against an abutment member, some times in the form of a roll, which is carried by the inner arm section.

In the present construction there is provided a, fulcrum member which is carried by the outer arm section and is situated to engage the spring at an intermediate point, the construction being such that the spring is flexed over the fulcrum member thereby giving the wiper element the desired spring pressure against the glass.

There is also provided means for adjusting this fulcrum member thereby to vary the tension of the spring.

The outer wiper arm section 4 is channel shaped and the wiper element 5 is carried by an extension member 30 which is adjustable longitudinally in the outer arm section 4. The yleaf spring above referred to is indicated at 3|. It is enclosed within the channel shaped outer arm section 4 and is rmly anchored thereto at its outer end. For this purpose, the side walls of the channel shaped arm member 4 are provided with extensions 32 which are bent in underneath the outer end 33 of the leaf spring 3| thereby firmly anchoring said leaf spring in position. The inner end 34 of the leaf spring bears against an abutment member in the form of a roll 35 which is carried by the inner arm section as above described.

36 indicates a fulcrum member which engages the spring 3| intermediate of its ends. This said fulcrum member is located on the underside of the leaf spring and the side Walls of the channel shaped arm section 4 are provided with extensions 31 which are bent around underneath the fulcrum member 36 and thereby hold it securely in place. The fulcrum member 36 can be moved longitudinally of the spring 3| and the ends 38 of the fulcrum member are bent downwardly to form suitable elements that limit the adjusting movement of said member.

The inner edges 39 of the inturned wings or extensions 31 are provided with a plurality of mating notches 40 and the fulcrum member 36 is provided with a protuberance 4| which is adapted to engage in any one of these notches.

It will be understood that if the fulcrum member 36 is moved toward the outer end of the wiper arm, the biasing action of the spring 3| will be lessened while if it is moved in the opposite direction such biasing action will be increased.

The fulcrum member 36 can be adjusted from one position to another Eby applying pressure to the downturned ears or stop elements 38 and the engagement of the protuberance 4| in the notches 40 serve to retain the fulcrum member in its desired position.

The outer end of the spring 3| is provided with a headed pin or stud 42 which extends through the spring with the head 44 of the pin on the inside of the spring and bearing against the arm extension 30. The shank of this pin 42 is received in notches 43 formed on the edges of the inturned portions 32, the engagement of the pin with said notches serving to hold the spring 3| from movement in the direction of its length.

I propose to make the pin 42 of brass or some other metal which has a reduced frictional engagement with the material of the extension 30 providing for relatively easy movement of the extension 30 when it is desired to extend or contract the over all length of the wiper arm. The

frictional engagement of the head 44 with the extension 30, however, is suflicient to retain the f* extension in any adjusted position.

If desired I may employ a sleeve 49, which encloses the pivot pin 1 and the ends of which are anchored in the side walls 6 of the outer arm section as shown in Fig. 11. In this construetion the sleeve is received in the groove |8 of the cam member and the purpose of the sleeve is to relieve the pivot pin from later strain due to the camming action involved in moving the locking member into its operative position. In this form of the invention the pivot pin 1 and the sleeve 49 constitute the pivot connections between the inner arm section 3 and the outer arm section 4 while in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the pivot pin itself constitutes A such pivot connections.

. member, of a wiper arm presenting an outer wiper-carrying section and an inner section .agree-soo channel shaped 1 `in :c cross 1 section .and r provided with a hood portion to receiveutheihub.'member, a pivotfpirrbyr which the inner and outer sections are pivotally connected together, a locking member situated within the inner 'arm section and movable` into and out of lockingengagement with the hub member, and a turnable cam member interposed between said locking member and the pivot pin landV contacting with each, whereby turningfmovement or the-cam member' operates to force the locking member into clampingv engagement with the hub. v

2.` A combination with a-3wiperactuatingfshaft having rigidly mounted thereonracylindrical hub member, .of a wiper arm-presenting an outer wiper-'carrying section and an, inner section channel shaped in cross sectioni and, provided with a hood portion to receive the hub-member,l a pivot pin by which the inner and outer sections are pivotally connected together, a locking member situated within the inner arm section, and a cam member operatively engaging the locking member and interposed between the latter and the pivot pin and backed by said pivot pin, said cam member being turnable about an axis parallel to that of the shaft and by its turning movement operating to force the locking member into clamping engagement with the hub member.

3. A combination with a wiper-actuating shaft having mounted rigidly thereon a cylindrical hub member, of a wiper arm presenting an outer wiper-carrying section and an inner section channel shaped in cross section and provided with a hood portion to receive the hub member, a pivot pin by which the inner and outer sections are pivotally connected together, a locking member situated within the inner arm section and adapted to have locking engagement with the hub, and a cam member interposed between said locking member and the pivot pin and bearing against the latter, said cam member being turnable about an axis parallel to that of the shaft and also hav ing an interlocking engagement with the pivot pin by which it is retained in position, and further having a cam portion engaging the locking member whereby, turning movement of the cam member operates to force the locking member into clamping engagement with the hub member, said pivot pin serving as a backing for the cam member during its camming action.

4. The combination with a wiper-actuating shaft having a hub member mounted thereon and rigid therewith, of a wiper arm presenting an outer wiper-carrying section and an inner section provided with a hood portion to receive the hub member, a pivot pin by which the said two arm sections are pivotally connected together, said pivot pin extending at right angles to the shaft, a locking member movably carried by the inner arm section and adapted to have locking engagement with said hub member, a cam member interposed between the pivot pin and the locking member and turnable about an axis parallel to said shaft, said cam member having a circumferential groove in which the pivot pin is received and also having a cam portion operatively engaging the locking member and by which it is moved into locking engagement with the hub member as the cam member is turned, said pivot pin serving as a backing for the cam during its camming action and also holding the cam member in operative position.

5. In a windshield wiper, the combination with a wiper actuating shaft having a hub member rigid therewith, of a wiper arm presenting an 6. outer wiperecarrying'zsection ,andzfani: inner secs tionhannel shaped'. in'cross section :andshaving a..hood.;portion to receiverztherhub member, aa?. pivot pin by which the two.. sections are;pivotallyi;con ne.cted,:a locking mem-ber' within' the inner.'.arm section; ai cam. memberziinterposed betweenizthe pivot pinJand the. cam: memberg. said: cam. member having. an operative engagement. with-the locking vmember :and being backed :byatheipivot p insaid camimemberralso having an4 interlockiingconnection with the pivot ,pin'by whichzthe latter holds the cam,member imposition. and further having .an interlocking; engagement 'by which* the locking member is retainedinyposi'-v tion by the cam member.

6, Ina windshield wiper, the combinationwith awiper-actuating shaft having; ahub .member rig-id therewith, of a wiper :armzpresenti-ng van outer wiper-carrying section and an inner section channel shaped in cross section and having a hood portion to receive the hub member, a pivot pin pivotally connecting the two wiper arm sections, a locking member within the inner arm section adapted for locking engagement with the hub member, a cam member interposed between the pivot pin and the locking member and turnable about an axis at right angles to that of the pivot pin, said cam member having a peripheral groove in which the pivot pin is received and the bottom of which is concentric with the axis of the cam member, said cam member also having a concentric neck portion extending through the bridge portion of the inner arm section and accessible from the exterior thereof for turning the cam and further having an eccentric cam portion and an annular shoulder, said locking member having a laterally extending flange provided with an aperture in which said eccentric cam portion of the cam member is received and which rests on said shoulder, whereby turning movement of the cam member moves the locking member into and out of locking engagement with the hub member and the cam member is retained in position by the pivot pin and the locking member is retained in position by the cam member.

7. The combination with a wiper-actuating shaft having mounted thereon a cylindrical hub member, of a wiper arm presenting an outer wiper-carrying section and an inner section channel shaped in cross section and provided with a hood portion to receive the hub member, a pivot pin by which the inner and outer sections are pivotally connected together, a locking member situated within the inner arm section and movable into and out of locking engagement with the hub member, a cam member interposed between the locking member and the pivot pin and having an operative engagement with each, said cam member being turnable about an axis at right angles to the pin and having a circumferential groove in which the pivot pin is received and also having a cam portion operatively engaging said locking member, whereby turning movement of the cam member about its axis moves the locking member into locking engagement with the hub, said pivot pin serving as a backing for the cam member during its camming action.

8. The combination with a wiper-actuating shaft having mounted thereon a cylindrical hub member, of a wiper arm presenting an outer wiper-carrying section and an inner section channel shaped in cross section and provided with a hood portion to receive the hub member, a pivot 76 pin by which the inner and outer sections are plvotaily connected-together, a locking member situated within the inner arm section and movable into and out of locking engagement with the hub mem-ber, a cam member interposed between the locking member and the pivot pin and turnable about an axis at right angles to the pin, said cam member having a circumferential groove in which the pivot pin is received and also having an eccentric cam portion, said locking member having a flange portion provided with an aperture in which said eccentric cam portion of the cam member is received, whereby turning movement of the cam member moves the locking member into and out of locking engagement with the hub, said pivot pin serving as a backing for the cam during such camming action and also serves to hold the cam in its operative position, the engagement of the flange of the locking member with the cam also holding the locking member' in operative position.

LOUIS ZAIGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 582,071 Little May 4, 1897 1,063,917 Gates June 3, 1913 1,355,757 Elliott et al Oct. 12, 1920 1,646,850 Brown Oct. 25, 1927 2,128,068 Anderson Aug. 23, 1938 2,289,552 Rousseau July 14, 1942 2,357,280 Smulski Aug. 29, 1944 2,413,421 Stoner Dec. 31, 1946 

